Sumlin checks in

Kevin Sumlin was introduced Friday as CAB’s successor, and he made a pretty good impression on the overflow crowd at the Great Hall. A bunch of players showed up to check out their new guy, and Sumlin had all the answers. He wants to run an wide-open offense but will retool the defense and “shore up” the special teams first.

Before you ask, he won’t take over here until after the Sooners’ appearance in the Fiesta Bowl. And he’s not pirating OU recruits. And he had no word on a proposed staff, saying he’ll take care of that later.

Sumlin quotage:

On the allure of UH: “I’ve always seen the University of Houston as a gold mine. It’s in one of the largest cities in America, it’s in a great football-playing state and it’s a great football playing city. There’s a wealth of talent surrounding this university. Anytime you have a university with that many players around it, you’re going to have a great chance to win.”

On his thoughts about the offense: “It’s going to be exciting-type football. We’re going to do what it takes to win. My track record speaks for itself. I’ve been at places where we’ve been able to run it, but I’ve also coached at places where we’ve thrown it 83 times in one game. We’re going to spread it out and we’re going to be exciting. We’re going to play good defense, and our special teams are going to be really solid. That’s going to come along with some good coaches on our staff. We’re going to get to work on that (immediately).”

On being one of six black head football coaches out of 119 major-college programs. “Obviously it is an issue, but it’s a credit to where we are right now that of all the things that have come up today, this has been one of the last. I’m a football coach first, and I just happen to be black. I have a job to do, and whether I’m black, white, red or green, it doesn’t matter. It’s an honor and there’s a sense of pride that goes with that, but more than anything else I’m a football coach and there’s a job to do.”

On establishing his own identity as a head coach: “It’s a big deal. I believe you have to be who you are. I’m a pretty straightforward guy. I think the players will feel that. There are some things from R.C. Slocum (Texas A&M), Bob Stoops (Oklahoma), Joe Tiller (Purdue), Mike Price (Washington State) and Glenn Mason (Minnesota) that I’ve learned, but at the end of the day I have to be Kevin Sumlin, and that’s how we’re going to do things.”